Washington Tp Cop Arraigned On Terroristic Threats Charges

Washington Township's cops are spending more time in court lately, not as arresting officers, but as criminal defendants.

On Tuesday, Northampton County DA Terry Houck filed two summary citations against Police Chief Scott E Miller for driving at an unsafe speed and failing to notify police of an accident. These charges were filed after an exhaustive investigation into a one-vehicle crash on January 6 at Michael Drosnock's home along Kessersville Rd in Plainfield Township. Houck had evidence that Miller had been drinking at a sports bar for eight hours before his mishap, but Slate Belt Regional Police (SBRP) failed to conduct even a rudimentary investigation, making DUI charges impossible.

In addition to Miller, Officer Mark Gwozdz was arraigned on Thursday on terroristic threats charges. Those relate to an October incident in which he allegedly threatened his third wife and expressed regret that he never put a bullet in the head of wife #1 or #2, or perhaps both. Gwozdz was initially placed on paid administrative leave, but his current girlfriend tells me it is now unpaid administrative leave.

Gwozdz is tentatively scheduled for trial in April.

Tax Hike - This Is What Happens When Upper Mount Bethel Hires Santa Claus

During a Special Meeting on a Friday night in November, and with only four out of five Supervisors available, Santa Claus was appointed as Upper Mount Bethel Township Manager. His gift to Township residents. A tax hike. And guess what? It's just the first of many for years to come. Ho! Ho! Ho! LehighValleyLive has part of the story about the first of what looks like several tax increases. Let me give you the rest of the story.

Santa Claus is actually a jolly old fellow named Eddie Nelson.  He's worked as a clerk at a beer distributor and as a crossing guard. But his meal ticket is his gig as Santa Claus every Winter. He has claimed it's very lucrative.

Nelson was set to make his annual pilgrimage to Florida's mall when Upper Mount Bethel's Manager, Rick Fisher, suddenly resigned. Rick, who has considerable experience in municipal government, was pulling down $72k. The Manager who preceded Rick, Bob Cartright, also had lots of municipal experience and worked as both Manager and Zoning Officer for a pittance of $65k until he became ill.

When Rick resigned, there were several applicants for the job. They include former NorCo Executive John Brown, who was also Bangor's Mayor. As an elected official, he had his shortcomings. But as a Manager, he might have been a good thing.

Another applicant was Rich Young, who ran both Allentown and Northampton County's Department of Public Works. Under him, the trains always ran on time.

A third applicant was from out-of-state and inexperienced, but had all kinds of degrees in Public Administration.

And then there was Santa.

No one will deny he's a jolly old fellow, but he knows nothing about municipal government. He was the least qualified candidate. But for some inexplicable reason, that's who three Supervisors - John Bermingham, David Due and Robert Teel - decided to hire. At that bizarre Friday night meeting in November, Santa and Mrs. Claus were in the audience. Nelson knew he was getting the job. In fact, he had already canceled his lucrative Santa contract.

Bermingham took care to schedule this Special Meeting on a night he knew that Supervisor Martin Pinter, who opposed Nelson, was unavailable. Supervisor Craig DeFranco, who also opposed Nelson, was excluded from a round robin in which the remaining three chose Nelson in apparent violation of the state Sunshine Act. Of course, they ratified their decision in an open meeting so it would be pointless to challenge it.

During his interview, Santa said he wanted $95k, far more than his predecessors. But he said  he needed no health benefits because he has Medicare.

When he was hired, it was at a salary of $85k. Apparently, the three amigos talked him down from his original demand.

Not long after this hire, DeFranco began noticing checks made out to Nelson for about $2,000. He would learn that, in addition to his $85k salary, he is getting around $2k per month in cash to make up for what a health package would cost. So Santa is actually making over $100k per year.

The first thing he did as Manager? Take courses? Call previous Managers?

Nah, he went on sick leave.

 Incidentally, Supervisors also gave a secretary a $20k raise.

As you might have guessed, Upper Mount Bethel has been deficit spending for years. Its cash surplus at the end of 2019 was just $144k. It should be repaving ten percent of its roads every year, but is unable to afford more than four.

It's going broke.

In the meantime, there's a group of citizens who want to "Keep Upper Mount Bethel Rural." In addition to opposing any form of economic development, they also oppose a much needed sewer line along a portion of Rte 611. Never mind that homeowners there would no longer have to worry about a well located just five away from the septic tank, or that they would have their septic tanks in their basement.

They like drinking shit-flavored water. It shows in their selection of Township Manager.

Ho. Ho. Ho.

Petty Pelosi

At the conclusion of last night's SOTU speech by Donald Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped up the paper copy provided to her. She called it a "manifesto of mistruths," but that's no excuse for her childish behavior.

Pelosi may have been reacting to an apparent snub by Trump at the beginning of the speech. He handed her and VP Michael Pence copies, but turned around without shaking hands. I would expect that kind of churlish behavior from Trump, but it's unclear to me that he acted intentionally. In fact, I'd say it was simply an oversight because, in addition to Pelosi, he failed to shake hands with his own VP.

She needs to recognize that not all Democrats are from California. 

DA Files Summary Charges Washington Tp Police Chief For Failure To Notify Homeowner of Accident

Scott Miller

Northampton County Detective Paul E. Hulbert has filed two summary citations against Washington Tp Police Chief Scott E. Miller. One is for driving at an unsafe speed and the other for failing to notify police of an accident resulting in damage. They were filed after an investigation into a one-vehicle crash on January 6 at Michael Drosnock's home along Kessersville Rd in Plainfield Township.

During a news conference yesterday announcing these charges, District Attorney Terry Houck said he began an investigation after receiving several anonymous calls as well as media inquiries.

This investigation reveals that on January 5, Chief Miller and his girlfriend were at Big Woody's for about eight hours. His credit card receipts show that he paid for both food and alcohol. Because there is no video surveillance at the restaurant, there is no way to confirm exactly how much Miller drank. A bartender was interviewed, but was unable to recall much because it was a football night and the place was busy.

Miller left between 11:30 pm and midnight, driving a 2008 white Nissan Titan. At that time, it was snowing. This is about 10 minutes from the accident scene.

Miller denied any damage

According to DA Houck, the damage at Drosnock's home was extensive. He believes Miller either rolled or came close to rolling his truck. His truck was totaled. Damages to the truck included the following: driver and passenger side front fender and hood; dented and broken headlights; paint scraped off; driver and passenger side mirrors gone; driver and passenger side door;  grill missing; entire passenger side dented and punctured through the body panel; passenger side bed dented and torn from cab to rear wheel; rear wheel broken; rear window blown out, etc.

Miller called Lane's Towing around 12:16 am, and remained at the accident site for about an hour, when Slate Belt Regional Police (SBRP) arrived. They were called to the scene by Lane Towing, not by Miller. Lane was unable to extract Miller's truck and called for a bigger tow. The towing company decided on its own to call police at around 1:15 am. Chief Miller never contacted police.

Two police officers, SGT Andrew Daly and Officer Joshua Lowe, responded. They have less than three years's seniority, and Houck believes this may have been Daly's first call as a supervisor.

When they arrived, Miller had wintergreen chew or dip in his mouth. One of the officers was still able to detect the odor of alcohol on Miller's breath. He made this observation twice. Both officers also noted slurred or "mush-mouthed" speech, but this dissipated over time.

Miller denied he had been drinking on two occasions. He even denied it after being asked if he was sure. Amazingly, Miller also denied there was any damage. Miller was asked where he had been, and never said he had been at Big Woody's. He first said he was headed north, and then said he came from Forks.

Both officers were wearing body cameras. They determined the accident was reportable because the vehicle needed to be towed from the scene. 

There was also significant damage to Drosnock's property. In addition to a hole in his front yard caused by Miller's truck, there were broken house shingles, the pellet stove pipe was bent and moved, 6' tall trees were sheared, a cast iron pump with stone planters was damaged.

According to SPRP policy, body cameras must remain activated when responding to calls. But several times, both officers turned off the audio portion. This happened when they were with or around Miller. But when the audio was on, one officer could be heard saying he smelled alcohol, while the other officer said he did not. Both noticed the slurred speech.

Miller never staggered or fell. According to officers, he did not appear to be incoherent. The area was covered by snow, slippery and hilly. They conducted no field sobriety tests because it was too slippery. Houck notes that officers could have performed a HGN or VGN (horizontal gaze test), but failed to do so. Officers also failed to administer a portable breath test (PBT). They failed to ask follow-up questions to determine if Miller was capable of driving safely. Officers failed to issue any summary citations, even though the accident report indicates Miller was driving too fast for conditions and there were indications he had been drinking. Houck indicated a PBT should have been administered.

Officers called LT Jonathon Hoadley as well as Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). At that time, PSP were responding to a highway accident and advised there would be a wait. So SBRP decided to handle the matter.

When officers left the scene, neither they nor Miller left an accident notification with Mr. Drosnock, the homeowner, who was asleep in his bed at the time. Drosnock would eventually learn what had happened when he woke up.

Houck ruled out a DUI charge. "The passage of time and loss of potential evidence, if it existed at all, prevented us from establishing a factual basis or probable cause to charge Mr. Miller with this offense," he concluded. "Could things have been done differently? Yes." But he lacked sufficient evidence to bring a prosecution based on the investigation done by SBRP. The passage of time prevents him from getting that evidence now.

Houck notes that, at least while the body cam audio was on, Miler's status as a Police Chief in an adjoining municipality was never discussed.

Q: Why is it that no effort was made whatsoever to contact the homeowner? There could be a fire going on. There could be noxious fumes from the pellet stove.

A. That's a question you'd have to ask them. ... [T]hey said they thought the house was vacant, but I know at the scene, at least one of the officers said he believed there were occupants in the home because he said he saw curtains."

Q. All he would have to do is look in the garage and he would see a car and a truck parked there.

A. Yeah, that's a question you'd have to ask them. They should have. There's no question about it.

Q. Had there been a fire, he'd [Mr. Drosnock] be dead. Today. ... Why wouldn't any action be taken against the SBRP officers who left the scene without making any effort whatsoever to contact the homeowner?

A. Well I don't know that there won't be any action taken. That's an internal disciplinary thing, but there's nothing there that indicated they committed a crime.

Q. What about recklessly endangering the life of another?

A. I don't think what they did was reckless endangering. I don't think they knew at the time that ... they thought at the time that the house was hit in any way.

Houck would go on to say that the police response to this accident was "inadequate." He said the department needs better training.

Q. You would agree that when anybody hits a home, and police are on the scene, they really should make an effort to find out if anybody's inside?

A. Well, that's the police's job, Bernie. ... In situations like that, your investigation should be exhaustive. You shouldn't make assumptions. That gets people killed. That gets police killed.

LT (now Acting Chief) Hoadley told WFMZ-TV69 that there was an internal investigation, and no action was taken against the officers.

Clearly, this was a cover-up. What these officers did, and more importantly, what they failed to do, disgraced an otherwise honorable profession. I understand the desire to help a brother police officer. That should never extend to shielding him from his crimes, especially when this could easily have resulted in someone's death. 

My previous stories:

Washington Tp Police Chief Rolls Truck ... and Leaves Scene

Washington Police Chief Who Hit Home Failed To Notify Owner

DA Opens Investigation Into Police Chief's Crash

NorCo Elections Comm'n to Meet Thursday

In addition to an op-ed taking the Northampton County Elections Commission to task over their refusal to recommend electronic poll books, Executive Lamont McClure has written to them. "You have a sworn obligation to ensure that the County has the ability to conduct an election," he notes. Their refusal to recommend epollbooks, and without providing a workable alternative, means the County has no ability to conduct a primary.

He has asked them to conduct a meeting before Friday to reconsider. "Time is of the essence and your failure to do so could prompt litigation," he warns.

The Elections Comm'n has responded by  running to The Morning Call to complain through party bosses who appear to be intent upon undermining public confidence in our electoral process. But they have scheduled a meeting for Thursday 8 pm.

A Council meeting will be going on simultaneously.

Easton's Zoning Follies

Back in November, Easton residents were busy preparing for their annual Turkey Day game against arch-rival Phillipsburg. I doubt many paid much attention to meeting notices. Yet it is around that time that Stephen Nowroski, Easton's Planning and Codes Director, began working on some major revisions to the City's Zoning Ordinance. Why this massive overhaul is needed was never explained. But it's very clear who benefits - developers and Lafayette College. It's also very clear who will suffer - ordinary homeowners. favors Lafayette College and developers at the expense of residents.

Nowroski, a code enforcement officer who landed in Easton under mysterious circumstances after being accused of playing favorites in Forty Fort, has absolutely no training or education as a planner, according to his LinkedIn page. His proposed zoning changes make that abundantly clear. Mayor Sal Panto has pledged to uphold the Paris Climate Change Accord and supported a resolution to reduce greenhouse emissions by 80%. Yet his administration's proposed zoning changes will actually increase the City's carbon footprint and make it hotter. You can read Easton's proposed update, all 263 pages here.

With little notice, Nowroski scheduled a few public outreach sessions to discuss these changes, attended by only a handful of people. One of them was Peggy Palmer, daughter of the late great Clinton "Budd" Palmer, Northampton County's erstwhile President Judge. She asked the City to hold a meeting in College Hill, but the City said it was unable to find a venue. So Palmer scheduled her own meeting on January 28. Neither Nowroski nor Panto showed, though Palmer tells me both were invited. Over 100 residents were there, including three members of City Council and State Rep. Bob Freeman.

Here's a summary of the changes:

I. More Blacktop ... A Lot More Blacktop. - Despite Easton's pledge to reduce greenhouse gases, it is allowing a lot more impervious coverage:

II. Just What We Need ... More Warehouses.

III. More Ugly Buildings ... There Goes the Neighborhood

IV. What Comprehensive Plan?

V. Let Developer Decide How Much Parking He Needs.

VI. Because Easton Really Needs More Halfway Houses

VII. Three-Story Apartment Buildings on College Hill

These changes, of course, are insane. There is a separate story about them at LehighValleyLive.

Voting Machines Demos Begin This Week

Starting this week, there will be demonstrations of the ExpressVote XL Voting Machine

February 5, 10AM – 12:00PM, Palmer Library, 1 Weller Place, Easton, PA

February 7th, 10:30AM – 12:30PM Park Plaza Community Center, 1800 Sullivan Trail, Suite 140, Easton, PA 18042.

Members of the public can cast a mock ballot to see how the machine functions. Election Office workers will be on hand to provide guidance and answer any questions.

Updated: Good News For Bad Government

As bad as local coverage has been from The Morning Call, it's about to become virtually nonexistent. When the latest round of cuts take place in the next week or so, I'm told most of the reporters will be gone. This is great news for bad government, but very bad news for democracy.

It's already started. Veteran crime reporter Pam Lehman has found another job in Lehigh County government. Northampton County's crime reporter, who is always very thorough, is on his way out.

WFMZ-TV69 now provides better local news and sports coverage than either of the dailies, and is free.

A Morning Call editor admits, "We're going to get slimmer, there's no disputing that." But he adds, "We're not gping away at all. We want people to know we're there." He insists most reporters will still be there, and that the current buyouit only affects those with eight or more years of seniority.

Blogger's Note: Originally posted 1/30/20 at 12:00 am.

John Morganelli - From "Humble Beginnings" to Judge

Morganelli, with wife Diana at his side, takes the oath
administered by President Judge Michael Koury, Jr. 

John Morganelli was officially sworn into office on Friday as a Northampton County Judge of the Court of Common Pleas amid pomp and circumstance in historic Courtroom No. 1. The prison's Honor Guard, in dress blues and accompanied by a bagpiper, presented the colors. The entire bench of the County's judges, festooned in their black robes, attended the ceremony. So did U.S. District Court judges Ed Smith and Joseph Leeson, Jr and numerous other dignitaries. Easton Area High School's Karissa Kresch sang the national anthem. Two Catholic priests offered prayers. President Judge Michael Koury, Jr, administered the oath. The courtroom was packed with family, including John's mother, as well as close to 500 friends. But it was Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez, Morganelli's closest friend, who reminded everyone that both of them are products of Bethlehem's south side. "John has never forgotten his roots, his humble beginnings and who his friends are," said Donchez.

The Prison Honor Guard presents the colors

Donchez and Morganelli, who lived a block apart on Evans Street, grew up together. "None of us realized how very little we had," he remarked. Morganelli's father was a construction worker with a sixth grade education. His mom was a seamstress with an 11th grade education. John would go on to be the first member of his family to graduate from college, ranking fifth in a class of 305 at Moravian College. From there it was law school. Morganelli said he always dreamt of becoming a lawyer so he could help "the average folks.".

President Judge Michael Koury, Jr. welcomes 

Morganelli's friends and family

Although most people remember Morganelli from his long tenure as District Attorney, Judge Leeson provided an example of just how Morganelli did help ordinary people as a lawyer. He described a case in which a woman's husband, a fitness buff in excellent health, died during a routine operation. She felt there had to be an explanation, but doctors insisted it was just one of those things. Lawyers refused to represent this widow, but Morganelli took the case and began deposing the medical personnel who participated in this surgery. All insisted they had done everything correctly until John came to the very last nurse who had been in the operating room. After asking whether she had to tell the truth, she revealed that the surgeon had nicked an artery and the patient bled to death. The case settled.

For his own part, Morganelli said he feels lucky, not because he's a judge, but because of the support and encouragement he's received from his family and friends and dedicated assistants like Terry Houck. His love for the law is what prompted him to seek a judgeship. "The law is what makes us all equal," he remarked.

Morganelli's childhood friends may have had humble beginnings, but now they include a mayor, federal judge and a state senator. They often get other on Friday nights. This should be confusing because these "average folks" must now address each other as "Your Honor."

Updated: NorCo's Elections Comm'n Has Effectively Canceled Primary

Northampton County's Elections Comm'n met on Thursday in Council chambers. The meeting was supposed to be videotaped, but IT was never informed. As a result, there is no video. There is, however, an audio of the 1 1/2 hour meeting, which the County made available. I have posted it above.

On Thursday, Northampton County's Elections Comm'n voted 4-1 against a request that it recommend a $240,000 order for electronic pollbooks (epollbooks) with Florida-based Tenex Software Solutions.  With this single vote, the Elections Comm'n has just made it impossible for the county to conduct an election in April. The sole member to vote yes was Gail W Preuninger.

Pollbooks are what elections officials bring to each precinct. They are massive books containing the registration data of every voter at that polling place. When voters check in, they sign this book. After the election, pollworkers handscan every person who has voted, a process that usually takes two to three weeks.

Epollbooks make things a lot easier, both for voter and pollworker. Printed paper pollbooks are usually broken up by the alphabet in each precinct, with an "A" to "K" book and another "L" to "Z" book. Three or four people whose last name begins with "L" could be standing in line while the "A" to K" clerk is unoccupied. With an epollbook, they could simply go to this unoccupied clerk because all the registration data is in each of the pollbooks.

Voter Registrar Amy Cozze notes it is often difficult for pollworkers to find someone's name in the paper pollbook, even though the elections office separates letters of the alphabet with tabs they manually place in each paper pollbook. This speeds up dramatically with epollbooks. Typing a person's name will reveal all pertinent information.

In addition to convenience for both voter and pollworker, Administrator Charles Dertinger had an even more compelling argument for epollbooks. The County has no choice. He previously told Elections Comm'rs that the County's paper pollbook printer, NTS Data, was no longer able to print paper them in time for the election because of recent changes to state law. These give voters more time to register and apply for mail-in ballots, but that means there is less time to print an accurate pollbook. "If we don't have pollbooks by the primary, we can't have an election," warned Dertinger.

Cozze added she had fielded calls from Delaware and Montgomery Counties, looking for a paper pollbook printer. No success.

Elections Commissioners decided earlier to take a week and do their own research before voting on epollbooks. "I would like more time," said Chair Maudenia Hornick. She said she voted for the XL and "We got egg on our face."

It appears they have egg on their face again.

Despite what both Dertinger and Cozze told Comm'rs, Chairperson Hornick assured fellow Comm'rs that she had called NTS and was told paper pollbooks could be printed in time for the April 28 Primary.

She was wrong.

The day after this vote, NTS's Director of Government Services, Mark D. Rossman, advised the County as follows:

Regrettably after careful consideration, NTS has determined that given the changes to election law requirements (as stipulated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) and the future advent of electronic poll books we can no longer provide what we feel will be a cost effective and timely solution to adequately meet the crucial needs of the Northampton County Elections Office. This was not a decision that we made lightly but one we thought practical for all concerned.

We have been proud to serve the voters of Northampton County these past 24 years. I regret any inconvenience this may cause your County and thank you for your past loyalty. ... ."

In addition to her mistaken claim that NTS Data could print paper pollbooks in time, Hornick added that she had spoken with Lehigh County's Deputy Registrar about the Tenex epollbooks. Lehigh has used them for six years. Hornick said she was told Lehigh experienced lots of "hiccups," and they  take up a lot of space. Cozze contacted this Deputy after the meeting, and reports this Deputy denies she was negative about the epollbooks.

In rejecting epollbooks, Northampton County's Elections Commission was relying on the mistaken belief that paper pollbooks could still be used. Without pollbooks, there is no way to check in voters and no way to conduct an election.

"I don't see the haste in rejecting the system we've been using," argued Elections Comm'r Alan Brau, M.D. It is not the County that rejected the printer. It is the printer that rejected the County.

Assuming that the County could somehow find a paper pollbook printer, the expanded deadlines mean it would have no way to determine whether someone who applied for a mail-in ballot had not also voted at a precinct. The county would have to go through a two-to-three week process of hand-scanning the paper pollbooks to ensure no one had double voted before it could even begin the process of counting these votes, even unofficially.

In stark contrast to hand-scanning paper poll books, epollbooks would enable elections officials to determine immediately if someone who applied for a mail-in ballot had tried to vote at the polling place.

Hornick said other counties print in-house, and for voters who requested mail-in ballots near the deadline, you could just add supplemental sheets. "The unofficial votes will take longer to count," said Hornick, saying that is a trade-off for voter convenience. Hornick and Dr. Brau both said they'd prefer to wait for an off-year election to roll out epollbooks.

Unhappy with this decision, Executive Lamont McClure has fired off a letter to local newspapers. "T]he Election Commission made it very clear that they 1) are not interested in making sure candidates and Northampton County residents can see results the night of the election, 2) are not concerned about the stress they are putting on County staff, 3) are not troubled by the difficulties poll workers will have trying to check long lines of people in on multiple lists and 4) don’t care if Northampton County misses its filing deadline with the state."

"If you want a floor cleaned properly, don’t refuse to give the janitor a mop."

Blogger's Note: Originally published 2/1/20 at 2:23 am.

Rick Orloski, RIP

Prominent civil rights attorney Rick Orloski, champion of underdogs everywhere, has had a change of venue. Instead of suing bad cops and governments here in the Lehigh Valley, he's been recruited to assist some of the more questionable recent candidates for Paradise.

"People like Bart Star or Doris Day need no help," he told me in a special appearance from a burning bush earlier this week. "But do you know how much the heavenly host despises Rip Taylor? Archangel Michael went ballistic when he got sprinkled with confetti." Orloski had special permission to warn me it's time I clean up my act.

I'm apparently in bigger trouble than Rip Taylor.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, Rick passed away on Sunday, just shy of his 73rd birthday. Like both my parents, he is originally a product of the coal regions. He was of short stature like my father, but was a legal giant.

Most of the general public will remember Rick as a perennial candidate for public office, be it Congress or State Senate. Cedar Crest commuters could tell when an election was approaching by the number of signs outside his law offices. He was a very involved Democrat who understood better than most that democracy is no spectator sport.

But his real passion was helping others. Like his brother, a priest, Rick used his passion of the law and Cornell Law School education to give a voice to those being besieged by bully employers, bad government and violent cops. He often took on unpopular causes because his conscience was more important to him than what others thought.

His clients loved him. I know. I was one of them.

I hesitated before writing this tribute. I will explain why in the post below.

The Ugliness of Tricia Mezzacappa

I delayed posting a tribute to Rick Orloski for one reason. Tricia Mezzacappa. Rick represented me in my successful defamation litigation against her. I suspected she would trash him anonymously. I was going to deny her that opportunity.

Instead of posting anonymously on my blog, she published this screed on her West Easton Borough Constable Facebook page:

Now its [sic] my turn, and Mom, this one is for you. I could care less [sic] who may be "offended" by this rant. Heaven gained no angel, rather Hell gained a sadistic parasite named Richard Orloski esq, who practiced an evil brand of law. This is the dirtbag who sued my innocent mother on behalf of a lazy degenerate sleazbag [sic] disbarred sociopathic sadist, who was too lazy to ever find a fucking job and support himself. The stress that was caused by this evil scumbag was no doubt, [sic] what lead [sic] to her death. A fine woman who hurt no one, and lived her life to always make sure others came before herself. Not to mention , at the same time, suing an 85 year old man in a nursing home, who died during the litigation. I hope the Mezzacappa family money that you extorted from my innocent mother paid for a fine looking casket that places you face down, to show you where you are headed. May you burn in Hell where you belong.

It's hard to believe hateful people like Tricia Mezzacappa exist. She's scheduled to go to trial May 4 on charges that she lied to Pennsylvania State Police in an attempt to frame a black man whose car exhaust was too loud for her tender ears.  Yesterday, on the eve of trial, she applied for a continuance. Under these circumstances, a normal person would want to keep her head down. Not Tricia.

I think she's already in Hell.

My Take on the Whitehall HS "Riot"

Most of you know I'm only one person. Every day, I get older and slower. Yet I was taken to task for failing to cover a fracas that ensued when the Whitehall Zephyrs were scheduled to host Allentown Central Catholic' Vikings in boys basketball on Tuesday night. "Where is your write-up? demanded a reader who's already certain the kids involved are all thugs.

I wish I had been there, not for the near riot, but the game. The two teams met last night, and the Vikings are now on a 14-game winning streak with a 49-31 victory, led by Nick Filchner and Liam Joyce. I had the privilege of watching the Vikings play earlier this season, and hope to do so again.

What happened is unfortunate, but as Vikings' Coach Dennis Csensits told The Morning Call, "It's just one of those things."

I have attended many games between Whitehall and Central over the years. My grandson has numerous friends who attended or played there. These kids are no "thugs." They are awesome. Funny, too!

Unless things have suddenly changed within the last two years, what happened is an aberration.

My own experience is that basketball tends to bring out the best in people. It brings people from many different backgrounds together. Rich or poor, white or not, there is more to unite us than divide us.

It's a good thing to stand up and question authority. I do it frequently. But you need to do it the right way. When 16 or 17, some kids will occasionally cross lines they would think twice about with a little more maturity. With what has gone on at some high schools, police rightly need to be very firm.

Turning Point Founder Honored For 45 Yrs Service to NorCo

Kevin Dolan, who administers the Children, Youth and Families (CYF) Division in  Northampton County, is retiring after 45 years of service. He was honored with a Certificate of Recognition by County Council at their January 23 meeting.

Dolan began his work in 1974 as a caseworker. He rose through the ranks to direct the Child Abuse Investigation and Emergency Units, and eventually became Director of the entire division. Over the years, Dolan's commitment to at-risk youth was noticed by state officials, and he has been named State Child Abuse Worker of the Year (1984) as well as State Social Worker of the Year (1990).

Dolan is a founder of Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley, which provides assistance to the victims of domestic violence.

In its Commendation, County Council notes that Dolan's "commitment to public service has clearly demonstrated that one person can make a difference."

Gracedale Hit With Five Citations in Latest Annual Health Insperction

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure presented County Council with a shitburger at last week's County Council meeting, but tried to pretend it was filet mignon. He said he had good news about Gracedale, the County's nursing home. He first reminded everyone that last year's annual health inspection yielded a whopping 13 citations. Then he announced that things are looking up now because the state Department of Health just finished its latest annual inspection, and only found five health deficiencies.

This kind of low expectation from the County's leadership is entirely unacceptable. It just guarantees  citations will continue.

In Pennsylania, a nursing home is hit with an average of 9.2 health citations during the annual survey. Gracedale beats is well above that average, but it also went two years with no citations at all when it had an outside Administrator. When County leadership praises mediocrity, that's what it gets.

I am unable to report on the nature of these latest  citations because the state Department of Health has only posted surveys through December. But I will.

What I can say is Gracedale's Medicare rating remains at two stars, or below average.

Elections Comm'n Will Meet Thursday, 4:30 PM

Northampton County's new Voting Registrar, Amy Cozze, has confirmed that the Elections Commission will meet again this Thursday, 4:30 pm, to discuss a $240,000 proposal for electronic poll books manufactured by Tenex Software Solutions.  In addition, they will consider voter outreach suggestions.

At their inaugural meeting last week, all five members agreed to wait a week before making a decision so they could do their own research. I did some research myself, and told you yesterday that Dallas had to scrap Tenex because it was susceptible to hacking and unable to interface with their voting system, which happens to be the ExpressVote XL.

I see no reason why an electronic pollbook should be able to interface with an actual voting system. One has nothing to do with the other.

Cozze told me yesterday the problem arose in Dallas because voters in that county can vote at any voting precinct they choose. Thus, the electronic poll books were connected to the Internet so that if voter A voted at Precinct #1 and then decided to vote again at Precinct #2, the poll book at Precinct #2 would know that voter A had already cast a ballot when he attempted to check in.

In Pennsylvania, that scenario is impossible. You can only vote by mail or at your assigned precinct. Thus, there is no need for an Internet connection. The pollbooks within each precinct will be able to sync via bluetooth, but there will be no Internet or WiFi.

Cozze also told me the County was working to establish a direct link to the election's office from the county's home web page. I just checked, and it's already there as a "Quick Access Link."

In the meantime, paper ballot purists suing in Commonwealth Court have strangely withdrawn a request for a preliminary injunction against the ExpressVote XL. In a companion lawsuit in federal court, a hearing is scheduled before Judge Paul Diamond on February 18. Judge Diamond has made clear he is uninterested in the experiences of individual voters and has concluded the State has already made a showing that it has been prejudiced by the nearly year delay after certification of the XL before seeking a ban on its continued use.

Do We Have the Right EPollBook Vendor?

Tenex' Lena Santiago demonstrates epollbook. 

Recent changes in The Elections Code extends registration and mail-in ballot dates. This is good for voters, but bad for the company that prints Northampton County's paper pollbooks. It simply is unable to do this in time. The County has no choice but to finally purchase electronic pollbooks, widely considered a great convenience during voter check-ins. But is Tenex, the company preferred by the Lamont McClure administration, the right choice? This system has been used in Lehigh County without incident for the past six years. But problems with Tenex in Dallas have raised questions.

At last week's inaugural meeting of Northampton County's Elections Commission, they postponed a vote on a $240,000 order with Tenex, the cheapest of three bidders, for electronic pollbooks at the voting precincts. They will make a decision this week after doing their own research.

What they might discover is that Dallas County spent $6 million for the very same glorified iPads. County Commissioners there now say the system is vulnerable to hackers. As it happens, these iPads are unable to interface securely with the voting system Dallas uses. That system happens to be the ExpressVote XL, the very same system used in Northampton County.

In Northampton County, the Tenex pollbooks will have no interface with the ExpressVote XL, nor will they be connected to the Internet. There will only be an encrypted blue tooth connection between iPads operating within the same precinct. It seems unlikely this should be a problem, but this is why you don't rush into things.

Elections Code Changes Explained

I have previously written about and  summarized the first major changes to Pennsylvania's Elections Code in 80 years. These changes were also addressed by Rick Santee, the Solicitor to NorCo's Elections Commission, at their meeting last week. I am updating my original story after listening to what Attorney Santee said.

1) Voter registration. - Previously, in order to vote, you had to be registered at least 30 days before the election. That deadline is now 15 days before the election, or April 13. You can register at the county office elections office, with PennDot or online (https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/VoterRegistrationApplication.aspx.)

2) Voting by Mail.- You can now vote by mail, and may apply for a ballot within fifty days prior to an election. A request to vote by mail must be received by 5 pm on the Tuesday prior to an election. The county must accept the actual ballot so long as it is received by 8 pm on Election Day. Previously, the ballot had to be received or postmarked by the Friday prior to the election. You can apply for a ballot online at the above site, but must wait until 50 days before the election.

3) Permanent Mail-in voter list.- You can ask to be placed on a permanent mail-in voter list. Voters on this list will receive an application for a ballot in early February.

4) Can You Vote by mail and in person? No. If you've returned a mail-in or absentee ballot, you are ineligible to vote at your polling precinct. If you do not think your mail-in ballot was received, you can always cast a provisional ballot.

What's to prevent someone from voting at the precinct and then going to the Elections Office, obtaining a mail-in ballot, and handing it in to elections officials? That question was asked by Elections Comm'n member Gail Preuninger. What prevents this is the law. Voters are unable to apply for absentee or mail-in ballots within 15 days of the actual election.

5) Where Will Mail-in and Absentee Ballots be counted? At the elections office, but not until the polls close. Absentee ballots will no longer be counted at voting precincts. Counties have been given the option to select other locations at which voters can drop off ballots, so long as there is security and a chain of custody can be established. Where will these ballots be stored? In lockable containers in the elections office.

The County has two scanners with which to tabulate the mail-in ballots. Administrator Charles Deringer said they can read 2,000 per hour.

6) Straight-party voting. - This feature has finally been eliminated.

7) Nomination petition changes. - Instead of getting nomination petitions notarized, a circulator (a person who gets signatures from registered voters for a candidate) need only fill out what is called a "verification." This is essentially the same thing as a notarized statement, minus the expense. In addition, the residency requirement for circulators has been eliminated.

In another tweak to the Elections Code, the state legislature has banned the Department of State from decertifying voting systems used by the majority of the counties unless it advises the legislature six months in advance with a justification as well as a plan for paying for a new system. Counties were given no warning when Governor Tom Wolf suddenly decided, as part of a lawsuit settlement, to order all counties to get new systems in time for this year's election.

NorCo's New Elections Comm'n Gets To Work

Maude Hornick and Dr. Alan Brau

Northampton County's five-person Elections Commission got to work yesterday in Northampton County's training room at 3:30 pm., adjacent to County Council chambers. The meeting lasted 2 1/'2 hours. It met there because it had a busy agenda and there was a conflicting Council Committee meeting at 4:30 pm.

The only returning member of the Commission was Maudenia Hornick, sister of and every bit as outspoken as her sister, County GOP Chair Lee Snover. Newcomer Frank L DeVito joins Hornick to complete the Republican contingent of this Commission. The Democrats - all of them newcomers - consist of Alan Brau, M.D., Daniel Lopresti, and Gail W Preuninger. Providing legal advice to this Board is Rick Santee.

In the first sign these newcomers are going to be very different, they unanimously appointed Republican Hornick as Chair. Dr. Brau, who was running a little late, was unanimously elected Vice Chair. "That's what he gets for being late," joked Hornick.

The second sign this Board is going to be different is the amount of work and preparation by each of them before the meeting. For example, Gail Prueninger told the XL manufacturer that she had suggestions on improvements the company could make to a video for the public to make it more informative. She had suggestions for improvements to a separately produced county video as well, and suggested the home page of the County's website should include a direct link to the Elections Office. She then provided both the manufacturer and the county with several pages of her suggestions, all of them single-spaced.

The third sign this Board will be different is that they refuse to be rushed into making recommendations. Instead of rubber-stamping a recommendation that the County spend $230,000 to purchase electronic pollbooks, they decided to put off the decision for a week so they could do their own research. "I would like more time," said Hornick. She said she voted for the XL and "We got egg on our face."

These electronic pollbooks, called epollbooks, are the product of Tenex, a Florida-based company in business for the past 20 years. It's the same system used in Lehigh County for six years, according to Administrator Charles Dertinger. It is also the cheapest of three bids received.

Dertinger acknowledged that he opposed epollbooks himself, but the county has no choice. Changes in the Elections Code have expanded the time to register to vote or seek mail-in or absentee ballots, and this makes it impossible to print paper pollbooks in time. "If we don't have pollbooks by the primary, we can't have an election," warned Dertinger.

Prueninger is extremely concerned about voter outreach and this will be a topic of next week's meeting as well.

Ordinarily, an elections commission meets just four times a year, but these board members want to meet more frequently.

Dr. Brau also had some ideas of his own. He said the geek in him loves the XL, but voters should have the option of voting by paper ballot at the polls as well. He was informed that voters can already do this via a mail-in ballot or a provisional ballot at the polls.

DeVito grilled Dertinger on Cozze's selection as Voting Registrar, and was told the County followed the Administrative Code.

Attorney Santee and other elections officials also addressed significant changes in the Elections Code. I have previously discussed these changes, but will add the insights of these officials on Monday.

Amy Cozze Named NorCo Voter Registrar

Cozze responds to question
from Elections Comm'n

Northampton County has selected Amy Cozze as its new Register of Elections. She was one of seven internal applicants for the position, and one of only two who were qualified. She was selected pursuant to career service regulations by a three-person board consisting of Administrator Charles Dertinger,  someone from the Elections Office and someone from Human Relations.  There were external applicants as well, but the County's Administrative Code requires that priority be given to county employees. Acting Registrar Amy Hess declined the job, saying she wanted to return to her role as Deputy. According to a highly placed county source, only one external applicant was qualified.

Cozze is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Business Administration. Since 2018, she has worked at Northampton County's Department of Administration, and threw herself into elections. She was instrumental in the selection of the Express Vote y there, visiting precincts and speaking to voters. She organized a voter outreach program in which the new system was demonstrated at over 20 locations. Only Philadelphia could match this effort to inform the public. When County Council wanted to see how this system worked in Delaware, she spent the entire day at the Diamond State, visiting precincts and speaking to voters. When problems arose in Northampton County's first use of this system, Cozze is one of a handful of county workers who worked 35 hours straight to make sure the votes were counted properly.

In 2018, Cozze mounted an unsuccessful campaign for the state house against incumbent Joe Emrick.  She made clear, however, that she will be completely nonpartisan in her new role. Moreover, her previous role as a candidate should give her some insight into the many problems faced by candidates for public office.

In the private sector, Cozze worked at Deerfoot Auto Parts, a successful family-owned auto recycling and service business located in Wind Gap. She also started and managed her own cake bakery in Nazareth.

It was widely assumed that Amy Hess, Acting Registrar and one of Northampton County's hardest workers, would take this job. But after November's election, in which everything that could go wrong did go wrong, Hess made it clear she wanted to return to her role as Deputy. No amount of persuasion could change her mind. In fact, Hess was one of Cozze's biggest supporters.

Even in the best of times, a Presidential election is always a challenge for the elections office. On top of that, she will be responsible for the controversial XL voting system and, if she has her way, electronic poll books to make it easier to check in voters. She will also be tasked with implementing recent changes in the Election Code that will drown her office with mail-in ballots.

I've watch her since she started working for the County. We are lucky to have her.